hey guys.

I am looking for some guidance. I am a 24 year old male, living in Scotland intending on moving to Alberta(initially Calgary) at the start of march. I am a Canadian citizen due to my dad being Canadian, so thats the first big step out of the way.

I will be flying out for 6-8 weeks initially, and if i manage to secure work, then i would cancel my return flight. I'm looking to get into the oil and gas industry, as it is nigh on impossible to get into that industry in britain.

What I'm looking for is something in the way of a checklist of things like driving, accommodation, banking, healthcare... all these logistical things that a new arrival to the country would be looking to get sorted. I just want to make sure I have all the bases covered here. So from anyone thats recently made the move, any pointers would be massively welcomed.

Even if it is to do with the employment side of things, no information is bad information.

Cheers folks.

Wiki is your friend
http://britishexpats.com/wiki/Arrival_To_Do_List-Canada

Thanks nikki. Was just enquiring about peoples personal checklists, for anything thats potentially missed off the wiki list or anything else on top of that list that would benefit me.

if your planning in renting, get some written references from previous landlords or morgage companies (or from your parents). Finding a rental in Calgary can be tough without them.

get your no claims bonus and apply to DVLA for your driver record (only around £5) it knocks loads off your car insurance

we got our dental and medical records too.

its almost impossible to hire a car without a credit card so bring one if you can

nice one stu, thanks for that!

no probs, if I think of anything else i'll post more.

Another question i'd like clearing up.. So I land in Calgary on March 1st and I am a Canadian Citizen, even though I was born and raised in Scotland.

Is there anything specific I have to do to become a resident? For the first little while I will be staying at my step brothers house, using his address. Does having an address and being a citizen automatically make me a resident? Sorry if it's a daft question, but the closer it gets the more stuff i start to worry about.

Pretty much.

'Intention' is a word that could also be thrown into the equation as well.

Hi Paul! Sorry I don't have to much info in regards to credit and rentals but I do have info on the employment side. here is a link to a thread I previously started. http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=786580 It is a list of companies that you should definitely check out. From what I've heard some of these companies are willing to cover you're living expenses.

As far as citizenship goes, you are a Canadian citizen so that should help you bypass allot of initial difficulty. You would most likely have to apply for your social insurance number (SIN) to begin working but that is a breeze. I believe you are instantly covered when it comes to healthcare being a Canadian citizen and all. (free healthcare yay!) I think you will need to apply for a provincial health care card though. Do you have a Canadian passport? I would highly recommend applying for that first, will really help with immigration otherwise they might grant you temporary stay for work and then send ya back on your Scottish passport.

Best of luck, hope this info is helpful to you!

I believe this is provincial dependant as in some provinces you need to be a 'resident' for at least 6 months.

Could be wrong though.

The wiki is written by, corrected by, and added to, by Brits who have moved to Canada. It is the sum of our personal experiences.

cheers folks, got my SIN already also, so I think I have all the major stuff covered, just getting more anxious by the day!

Practice driving on the right side of the road may help, or maybe not!!!

Good luck with the move